During the production of fiberglass, moisture content of uncured media entering the curing process, skin firmness characteristics of cured media and finished product uniformity are difficult to control. Additionally, the production of fiberglass has required multiple additives to control loft and stiffness but these additives cause problems in processing that must be adjusted by formulation or processing changes. Purchasers of fiberglass media cite problems caused by small deviations in loft, skin characteristics and uniformity of media.
Current methods utilize many catalysts, buffers, and miscellaneous additives to adjust pH, viscosity etc. of resin binder to achieve better quality fiberglass. Curing methods today tend to be intolerant of variability in uncured unexpanded fiberglass mat moisture content. Current methods or apparatuses cannot consistently produce stiffer, well defined skin characteristics. Most systems and methods today do not use up-drafting of hot curing air to prevent clogging in the exhaust and to provide cleaner belts in the apparatus.
Additionally, other methods of making fiberglass such as insulation fiberglass use spinneret devices where molten glass is dumped into a spinning pot with holes in the sides. As the glass strands exit the sides by centrifugal force, they are blasted with compressed air which cuts the fiberglass strands into short lengths. These spinnerets move from side to side over a moving conveyor to get them distributed in an even layer before entering curing ovens. In some cases the ovens utilize updraft, some cases downdraft and in other cases both updraft and downdraft are utilized. This disclosure relates to continuous strand filament fiberglass, not short lengths as is used in insulation.
It would be advantageous to provide a method regulating moisture.
It would also be advantageous to provide a method that can tolerate more moisture variations in uncured unexpanded fiberglass mat entering the heating apparatus.
It would further be advantageous to provide a system and method that can consistently produce the desired skin firmness and thickness characteristics.
It would further be advantageous to provide a method of heating a multi-zoned system at specified temperatures utilizing an updraft technique.
It would still further be advantageous to provide a method of creating greater loft consistency.
Thus, there remains a considerable need for systems, methods and devices that control skin stiffness characteristics on the surface of fiberglass filtration media providing controlled loft production with variable input moisture content.